Firefighters from multiple departments were called to this home in the 4500 block of West Newton Drive for a house fire.
Photo provided by German Township Fire Department
The cause of a Tuesday evening fire that destroyed a house in the Pleasant View Addition southeast of Edinburgh remains under investigation.
While there were no reports of injuries from the fire in the 4500 block of West Newton Drive, German Township Fire Chief Matt Lynch stated the homeowner had no insurance on the residence.
While confirming the home was occupied by three adults, Lynch said he did not have their names.
Structural damage sustained by the single-story brick home is estimated at $200,000, while content loss is believed to be about $75,000, Lynch said.
Billowing smoke was first reported to first responders at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday by a Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputy, according to Lynch. The deputy informed emergency units that a pet may have been trapped inside the house, so several firefighters were searching for the missing canine while also fighting flames and smoke, the fire chief said.
The dog was eventually found from a back bedroom, taken outside and given oxygen until his condition improved. According to Lynch, the pet was standing on his own before he was taken to an emergency veterinarian by one of the home’s occupants.
Several rural and municipal fire departments were called to the scene. German Township volunteers were among the first to be dispatched, followed by the Clifford and Edinburgh fire departments, Lynch wrote.
While en route, German Township firefighters requested a second alarm that brought Harrison Township, Columbus Township and Hope fire departments to the scene, Lynch stated. After Amity and Nineveh Fire Departments were requested, the fire chief estimated there were about 30 firefighters at the scene.
When an unit from Edinburgh arrived, firefighters began an interior attack of the flames and smoke by utilizing their onboard water tank, firefighters said.
German Township Engine 81 stretched the hoses 650 feet to reach the nearest available fire hydrant, Lynch said.
Approximately 20 minutes into the incident, fire crews were pulled out of the house, according to Lynch. However, a tower fire truck from Columbus Township was utilized to spray water from above the residence, he said.
After the bulk of the fire was knocked down, crews returned inside to extinguish the remaining hot spots.
By Mark Webber of The (Columbus) Republic, a sister newspaper of the Daily Journal.Â
